Coiling machine



W. V. CHERY COILING MACHINE July 27, 1965 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1963 INVENTOR.

WALTER V. CHERY BY @D A oRNEY July 27, 1965 w. v. CHERY 3,196,489

COILING MACHINE Filed April l5, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

WALTER V. CH Y BY Q W. V. CHERY GOILING MACHINE July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 15. 1963 las;

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` INVENTOR.

WALTER CHE Y BY @Dc M ATTORNEY$- W. V. CHERY COILING MACHINE July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 15, 1963 A TORNE YA'.

W. V. CH ERY COIL-ING MACHINE July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April l5, 1965 INVENTOR. ALTER V.CHE Y A ToRNE Y$.

United States Patent O 3,196,489 CGllLING MACHINE Walter V. Chery, Meadvilie, Pa., assigner to Talon, lne., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 274,378 21 Claims. (Cl. 18-19) This invention relates to a machine for making coils from filamentary material, such as nylon and other plastic filaments, and particularly to a coiling machine for making simultaneously a pair of interlocking coils of lilamentary material Iwhich are particularly adapted for use as interlocking fastener stringers for slide fasteners wherein the opposed loops or convolutions of each of the coils act as interlocking elements.

The coiling machine of the present invention is particularly adaptable for making interlocking slide fastener stringers of the so-called filament type as shown in the U.S. Patent to Nicholas Wahl, No. 2,300,442, issued November 3, 1942. Such stringers are formed of filament usually of nylon or some other plastic material of special cross-section, which are simultaneously formed by winding two filaments in opposite directions around a suitable mandrel. As the two laments are wound around the mandrel, a coiled filament is formed with the convolutions moved successively along the mandrel to the free end thereof. The two coiled filaments are then interrneshed with each other so as to provide a pair of interlccked coiled filament stringers which are later attached -to Stringer tapes to provide slide fastener chain in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for coiling two filaments simultaneously having means arranged therewith for deforming the filaments intermittently so that an interlocking head portion is formed on each convolution of each of the coils, means for automatically intermeshing the two coils immediately after they have been formed, and means for heating and curing the coils and delivering them from the machine.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved coiling machine having two heads arranged on rotatable members rotatable in opposite directions with a stationary mandrel arranged with each head and extending outwardly therefrom around which the respective filaments are wound and coiled and with means arranged on each of the heads which cooperate with one another intermittently to deform the two filaments at spaced-apart intervals which deformations are adapted to provide an interlocking head portion on each convolution of the coiled filaments.

lt is another object of this invention to provide an improved machine for making coils of filamentary material for use as slide fastener stringers which machine can be operated at a much higher speed over much longer periods of time than machines heretofor suggested and used for such purpose, thereby resulting in greatly increased productive capacities.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved machine for making coils of iilamentary material for use as slide fastener stringers wherein the filamentary material is coiled and deformed, the coils intermeshed and cured completely in readiness for attachment to stringers tapes without the need for any further operations thereon.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved coiling machine for making automatically coiled filament for slide fasteners which is efficient and effective in its use, and at the same time, produces uniform and satisfactory slide fastener stringers.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following speciice ication, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

FIG. l is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of the improved coiling machine in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the upper .part of the cooling machine as shown in PIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged -front elevational View, partly in section, of the intermediate portion of the machine,

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the coiling heads and stationary mandrels showing how the filaments are deformed and wound around the respective mandrels,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view showing the two coils of filament intermeshed after they have been formed,

FlG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view showing modified types of stationary mandrels which may be used in the coiling machine of the present invention,

FIGS. 8, 9 and l() are schematic views of mechanism which may be employed for feeding the coiled filaments from the ends of the mandrels to the curing wheel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved coiling machine of the present invention conisits of a frame 2 in which there is mounted in a pair of suitable bearings 3 carried thereby, a pair of rotatable shafts 4 arranged at an acute angle to one another. On the upper end of each of these shafts 4, there is securely arranged a head 5 which are rota-ted in opposite directions by the respective shafts. The extreme upper end of each of these heads 5 terminates in a frusto-conical shaped portion 6 which portions are arranged in side-by-side relation. Directly above each of these frusto-conical shaped portions 6 there is carried thereby an annular deforming member '7. Axially of each of these heads 5, there is arranged a stationary mandrel 8 which extends up through the .respective frusto-conical shaped portions 6 to a point beyond the annular deforming members 7 of the respective heads. It will be noted that these mandrels 8 are also disposed at an acute angle relative to one another with the extreme free ends being slightly spaced from one another, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

Within each of the heads 5 there is arranged a plurality of guide rollers or pulleys 9, 10, and 12 around which the filament F is adapted to pass from its source of supply in a manner hereinafter to be described. Directly opposite the upper roller 12, there is arranged in each of the heads 5 a longitudinally extending passageway 13 which opens in the side of the respective frusto-conical shaped portions 6, as at 14. Axially of each of the shafts 4, there is arranged another longitudinally extending lament passageway 15 which opens at its upper end adjacent the lower guide roll 9. Each of the heads 5 is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 16 carried by a bracket member 17 mounted on the fr-ame 2.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. of the drawings, the inner end of each of the mandrels 8 is arranged axially of a spindle-like member 18 to which they are lsecured and each of these spindle-like members 18 are arranged axially of the respective heads 5 in suitable bearings 19 arranged in the axially hollow portion 20 of the respective heads. On the inner or lower end of each of these spindle-like members 18, there is arranged a gear 21 which meshes with a gear 22 arranged on the upper end of a shaft 23 suitably .arranged in the side of the respective heads. On the lower end of each of these shafts 23, there is arranged another gear 24 which meshes with a stationary gear 25. By means of such an arrangement it willV be seen Ythat each of the mandrels 8 are held stationary while the respective heads rotate relative thereto. Y Y p On thelower end of each of the shafts 4, there is secured thereto so as to rotate therewith a yoke-like member in which there is rotatablymoun'ted a spool S on which there is `wound a supply of filament F.

Intermediate the length of each vof the shafts 4, there is secured thereto a gear 31 which cooperates `with a gear 32 arranged on the outer end'of a transversely extending drive shaft 33. This drive shaft is mounted rin CTI a pair of suitable bearings 34 and 35 ,carried by the frame 2 and the outer end thereof is connected to a shaft ranged a slidable membe`r'41. On the inner end of each of these slidable members 41, there is arranged .preferably a rotatable disc-like member or wheel 42 .having teeth 43 arranged around the periphery thereof which wheels cooperate withone another in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter 'to be described.

In the upper part of the frame 2, thereis arrangedk a transversely extending shaft on which there is securely,

mountedja feed and forming or curing wheel 51 having a groove 52v arranged around the periphery thereof. The peripheryof the forming wheel is arranged substantially tangential to a plane through the upper free ends of the mandrels 8, and there is positioned between thefreeends of the mandrels andthe periphery of this curing wheel 51, a `coiled filament, guide member 53.Y In each side ofthis `formingpwheel, there is arranged preferably an annular electrical heating element 54 which may be heated' in any suitable manner.

' Within, this groove 52 inthe periphery ofthe. curing wheel 51, there is arranged :an endless flexible wire-like band 55 which travels with the forming wheel as it rotates. This flexible band 55 is disposed around a series of guide rollers 56carried by a bracket Vmember 57 mounted'on.

the frame 27r'earwardly of the pair of heads 5 at the front ofthe machine and around anotherr series of guide rollers '58 carried-by'anotherfbracket member 59 mounted on the frame at the rear of theV machine asV more clearly shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Around the peripheryof this forming wheel 51, as more clearly shown in FIG. 4, there is arranged preferf ably a pair ofV removable 4annular metallic strips 60 with on'e'rarran'g'ed to each side .ofthe groove 52V therein and preferably having a seriesv of teeth 61 arranged along the opposed edges thereof; These metallic strips are secured to the periphery of theforming wheel 51 preferably by means v-ofya plurality o f screws 62.

Abovegthe forming wheel 51, there Vis arranged an arcuate-shaped member 70jhavingV oneend thereof pivotally attached, :as rat 71, to a bracket memberV 72 mounted on the franie12. This arcuate-shaped movable member 70 consists preferably of'a pair of spaced-apart members 73 having a plurality of Vspaced-apartfreely rotatable rollers 74 arranged therebetween. It will be seen'that this arcuate-shaped member Y extends from apoint'adjacent the free Yends Aof, the' mandrels 8` in the frontof the machine and around the kforming wheel 51 toits pivotal point at the .rear side of the machine. There Vis disposed aroundthese rollers 74, an endlessflexible metallic band 75 which is positioned directlyoppositerthe groove 52 in the forming wheel and which is adapted to travel therewith upon `rotation of the same. This member 70 isrlocrked in position by any-suitable mannerrso thatY the flexible band 75 is maintained ,in frictional contact with the periphery ofthe forming wheel. In this member 73,V

on the front side of the machine opposite the periphery of the forming wheel with which it cooperates, there is arranged preferably a rotatable pressure roller 76 which is rotatably arranged on an eccentric 77 manually manip- Vulated by a handle 78. VAt the rear side of the machine and the wheel 51thereis mounted on the frame 2 preferably a guide member having a series of apertures arranged therein through which an air supply is :supplied to this guide member.;` Y

|Ilhe shaft 50, together with the forming wheel 51, carried thereby 'is driven preferably by a chain 80 which is d-isposed aroundV a sprocket 81 secured tothe shaft 50 vand a sprocket 82 carried by a shaft S3 of the gear box 37 Having described the construction of the improved coil- .ing machine in accordance with the present invention, it

functions in the followingmanner.

' In view'of the fact that the shafts 4 and the heads 5 together with the mechanism'associated therewith are iden-tical only one of these assemblies rwill be described in detail. It will be assumed that the filaments F to be coiled are positioned in the machine, as shown in FIG.'3 of the drawings in readiness, for the coiling operation. In such position itwillbe seen that the filament F passes from 4the filament spool supplyrS, Vaxially up through the shaft 4, through thepassagewaylS, around the rollers 9, 10 and 12, through the passageway 13 and out through the opening 14 in the sidepofr` the frusto-conical shaped end portion 6. K y

The lanient F then passes into Itangential contact with the. annular vdeforming member 7 and to the mandrel 8 around which it is initially, manuallywound adjacent the annular deforrningmember 7, Ias more clearly shown in F-IG. 5 of the drawings. Y

The machine is now being in readiness for operat-ion, it will be understood that one of theseshafts 4 together with the head 5 carried thereby rotates in a clocl w isedirec tion and that ,the other shaft 4 together withthe head 5 carried thereby rotates in a counter clockwise direction,

ie., the heads rotate in opposite directions. As the shafts 4 together with the respective lheads Y5 carried thereby rotate the respective filamentsV F 'are wound or coiled around itjhe respectivestationaryV mandrels 8, as more clearly shown in FIGS.V 3 and 5 of the drawings and that the coil-ed filaments C'gradually builds up toward the free ends of the respective mandrels 8 and eventually the con volutions .of the `'coil Vare successively forced off the free ends ofthe respective mandrels.V

` It will be seenv thateach of the filaments `Fpass between the annular Vdeformin'g members'7 upon each revolution `of the heads 5 and it will be understood `that as they pass therebetween each of the laments are deformed, asat H, which is one of the most important aspects of the ,present invention. This deformation H of the filament is yfilaments are spaced properly relative to one another so Vas to be intermeshed with onev another and'supported, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing-s. Theintermeshed coiled laments then pass into the guide member 53 and thence tot-he periphery of thel feed and forming wheel 51'. r The intermeshed coiled filaments C are then forced'into the groove 52 in the peripheryof'the forming wheel 51 over-thertop of the flexible wire stripping band 55 therein and between the annular metallic strips 60rby the action of the Vpressure roller 76. These coiled filaments are held in such position'as they are conveyed around the forming v wheel by the flexible metallic band 75 until they reach theY f rear side of the machine at which point they are. removed from the groove'SZ and stripped from the Vforming wheel Vby 'the action of the flexible wire band 55'.

l It will'be lunderstood that the periphery `of the forming,

adsense wheel 54 is heated by the annular heating members 51 carried thereby, which in turn heat the intermeshed coiled filaments to soften and set the same. In other words, as the filaments pass from the front of the machine and around the forming wheel to the rear side of the machine they are cured and set so as to relieve any tension in the filaments from being coiled and deformed.

After the intermeshed coiled filaments are stripped from the forming wheel 51, they pass through the rear guide 96 wherein they are cooled by any suitable manner, preferably by means of an air supply (not shown).

In FIG. 7 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of the stationary mandrels. In this construoti-on the mandrels are rather elongated and have lower tapered portions 91 `arranged at an acute angle to one another and straight upper portions 92 arranged substantially parallel to one another' which straight portions extend a considerable distance beyond the lower tapered portions so as to aid in guiding the coiled h-laments C to the curing wheel 531 and for supporting them while they are being intermeshed with each other.

There is shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, auxiliary mechanism for aiding in moving the intermeshed coiled filaments C from the free ends of the mandrels 8 and feeding them to the curing wheel 51. Such mechanism consists of a pair of spaced-apart sprocket gears $3 arranged on a suitable shaft 99 which gears mesh with the cavities 97 between the teeth 61 of the metallic strip or bands 6) disposed around the curing wheel 51 which rotate the same. These sprocket gears 98 mesh with another pair of spaced-apart sprocket gears 95 arranged on a suitable shaft 96 which in turn mesh with the spaces between the convolutions of the respective coiled filaments C. Thus it wi-ll be seen that as the curing wheel 51 rotates, it in turn will rotate the sprocket gears 93 in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 8, and the sprocket gears 95 will in turn be rotated in a clockwise direction so as to move the coiled filaments C `away from the free ends of the stationary mandrels 8 and toward the periphery of the cur-ing wheel 51.

As a result of my invent-ion it will be seen that there is provided a coiling machine for making slide fastener elements of the coiled filament type for slide fasteners wherein a pair of filaments are not only coiled but the filaments are automatically and simultaneously deformed so as to provide interlocking head portions on each convolut-ion of each of the coils, and the coiled filaments simultaneously cured to provide completely finished slide fastener elements of the continuously connected type.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I 4claim as my invention is:

1. In a coiling machine of the class described,

a pair of cylindrical rotatable members arranged in side-by-side relation,

means for delivering a continuous length filament to each of said rotatable members,

a mandrel arranged concentric with each of said rotatable members and extending outwardly therefrom around which each of the respective filaments are adapted to be Wound upon rotation of said rotatable members so as to form a coiled filament therearound,

means arranged around the periphery of each of said rotatable members which cooperate with one another to deform each of the filaments at spaced-apart intervals therealong as the respective filaments pass from the rotatable members to the respective mandrels,

means for rotating each of said rotatable members relative to their respective mandrels whereby the respective filaments are coiled around the respective mandrels, and

means arranged beyond said rotatable members for intermeshing said coiled filaments one with the other as they pass therealong.

2. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermeshing means consists of a pair of rotatable disks arranged in side-by-side relation on parallel axes with each having spaced-apart teeth around the periphery thereof which cooperate with one another upon rotation thereof to force the coiled filaments together into intermeshed relation.

3. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the axes of the rotatable members and the mandrels arranged therewith are arranged at a acute angle to one another.

4. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 1, including means arranged beyond the intermeshing means for heating the intermeshed coiled filaments as they pass therealong so as to shape the same.

5. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 1, including a rotatable wheel arranged opposite the mandrels around which the intermeshed coiled filament is disposed and which pulls the coiled filaments from the free ends of the mandrels and through the intermeshing means, and means for guiding the intermeshed coiled filament to and around said wheel.

6. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 5, including means arranged with the rotatable wheel for heating the intermeshed coiled filament as it passes therearound so as to shape the same.

7. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 5, including an endless fiexible band arranged around the periphery of said wheel and which cooperates therewith to guide and convey the intermeshed coiled filaments therearound.

8. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 5, including a groove arranged around the periphery of said wheel in which the intermeshed coiled filaments are adapted to be disposed as they are conveyed therearound, and an endless fiexible band arranged in said groove around the periphery of said wheel in under said intermeshed coiled filaments and which travels with said wheel upon rotation thereof and which is adapted to move the intermeshed coiled filaments out of said groove and strip them from said wheel at a predetermined point therearound.

9. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 1, including means arranged coaxial with each rotatable member for receiving and holding a filament supply spool rotatably and coaxially with relation to the axis of the respective rotatable members.

10. In a coiling machine of the class described,

a pair of rotatable members arranged in side-by-side relation on axes arranged at an acute angle relative to one another,

means for delivering a continuous length filament to each of said rotatable members,

each of said rotatable members having a frusto-conical shaped end portion,

a mandrel arranged axially of each of said rotatable members extending outwardly from the end of each of said frusto-conical end portions at an acute angle -to one another,

means arranged around the periphery of each of said frusto-conical shaped portion which cooperate with one another to deform each ofthe filaments at spacedapart intervals therealong as the respective filaments pass from the rotatable members to the respective mandrels,

means for rotating each of said rotatable members relative to their respective mandrels whereby the respective filaments are wound and coiled around the respective mandrels,

means arranged beyond said rotatable members for intermeshing said coiled filaments one with the other as they pass therealong, and

means arranged beyond the intermeshing means for heating the intermeshedcoiled filaments as they pass therealong so as to shape the same. l

11. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in Y claim 10, wherein the intermeshing means, consists of a Y pair of rotatabledisks arranged in side-by-sride relation on parallel axesrwith each having spaced-apartrteeth around the periphery thereof which cooperate with one another upon rotation thereof to force the coiled filaments together into interrneshedrelation.l p

12. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 10, including a lrotatable wheel arranged opposite the mandrels around which the intermeshed coiled fila-A ment is disposed and which pulls :the coiled filaments from the free ends of the mandrels and through the ,intermeshingV means, and'means for guiding the interme'shedl coiled filament -to and around saidwheel. Y

13. In a coiling machine,- the combinati-on as defined in claim A12, including `an endless flexible band arranged around the periphery of said wheel and'which cooperates therewith to guide and convey'the ments therearound. i

intenneshed coiled fila- 14. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in l claim 12, including a groove arranged around the pe riphery of said wheel in which the intermeshed coiled filaments are adapted to be disposed as they are conveyed therearound, and an endless flexible band arranged insaid` wheel for heating the intermeshed coiled VVfilament as itV passes therearound so as kto shape the same.

operate with one another tovdeform'each ofthe filaments at spaced-apart intervals therealong as the respective filaments pass from the heads tothe respective mandrels', Y meansfor rotatingsaid shafts together with the heads carried thereby relative toy their respective mandrels whereby the respective filaments are wound and coiledKV around the respective mandrels, Y

e means arranged beyond said rotatable heads for intermeshing said coiled filaments oneV with the other as they pass therealong,

a rotatable wheel arranged opposite said mandrels around which the intermeshed coiled filament is disposed and which pulls the coiled filaments from the free ends of said mandrels and through the intermesh- Y ing means, V an endless fiexible band arranged around the periphery of said wheelV and which cooperates therewith to guide andv convey the intermeshed coiled filaments therearound, and

means for rotating said wheel so that said endless flexible band is moved therewith.`

18.` In a coiling machine, `the combination as defined in claim 17, including means arranged withthe rotatable wheel for heating the intermeshed coiled filament as it :passes therearound so as to, shape the same.

,19. In a coiling machine, thefcombination as defined in claim 17, whereinthe intcrmeshing means-consists of a pair of rotatable discs arranged in side-by-siderelation on parallel axes with each having spaced-apartteeth around the periphery thereof which cooperate with one another upon -rotation thereof toforce the coiled filaments toe gether into intermeshed relation.

20; In a coiling machine, the combination as defined in claim 17, including'a groove arranged around the` peripheryV of said rotatable wheel in which the intermeshed 16. In a coiling machine, the combination asdefined in v` a head securely arranged on the outer end fofieach of said shafts directly next to oneanother,

means for delivering a continuous length filament to y o each of said heads, v

each of said heads having a frusto-conical shapedend portion,V V V a stationary mandrel arranged axially of each'of said shafts and the respective heads and extending out- Wardly from said frusto-conical shaped end portion and l around which; the .respective filaments are adapted to be woundrupon rotation of said heads so as to form acoiled filament therearound, annular means arranged around the .periphery of each of said frusto-.conical shaped end portions which cocoiled filaments areadapted to` be disposed as they are conveyed'therearound, and an'endless fiexible band arranged inV said groove around the periphery of saidwheel in under said kintermeshed coiled filaments, and which travels with said wheel upon' rotation thereof and which is adaptedto move the intermeshed coiled filaments out of said groove'and strip them from said wheel at apredetermined point therearound. Y Y

21. In a coiling machine, the combination as defined Y in claim17, including means arranged coaxial with each Y 2/51 wahl V18--19 2,878,514 3/59 Nichols et a1. 18-19 2,907,066 10/59 wahl e 18- 1 3,039,259 6/62 Lemme V 18`19 xn 3,053,288 9/62 Burbank 1s-1XR wiLLrAM J. STEPHENSON, prima@ Examiner. 

1. IN A COILING MACHINE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL ROTATABLE MEMBERS ARRANGED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A CONTINUOUS LENGHT FILAMENT TO EACH OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS, A MANDREL ARRANGED CONCENTRIC WITH EACH OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AROUND WHICH EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE FILAMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO BE WOUND UPON ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS SO AS TO BE FORM A COILED FILAMENT THEREAROUND, MEANS ARRANGED AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF EACH OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS WHICH COOPERATE WITH ONE ANOTHER TO DEFORM EACH OF THE FILAMENTS AT SPACED-APART INTERVALS THEREALONG AS THE RESPECTIVE FILAMENTS PASS FROM THE ROTATABLE MEMBERS TO THE RESPECTIVE MANDRELS, MEANS FOR ROTATING EACH OF SAID ROTAATABLE MEMBERS RELATIVE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MANDRELS WHEREBY THE RESPECTIVE FILAMENTS ARE COILED AROUND THE RESPECTIVE MANDRELS AND MEANS ARRANGED BEYOND SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS FOR INTERMESHING SAID COILED FILAMENTS ONE WITH THE OTHER AS THEY PASS THEREALONG. 